3 Records Management What is a Record? The statutory definition of public records includes all books, papers, maps, photographs, recorded tapes, financial statements, statistical tabulations, or other documentary materials or data, regardless of physical form or characteristics, made or received by any officer or employee of any Massachusetts governmental entity G. L. c. 4, 7(26)

4 Records Management s are Public Records Electronic mail communications ( ) made and received by government employees are public records The retention period for is based on the CONTENT of the The Public Records Law analyzes the CONTENT of a record, not the form

5 Records Management Purposes/Benefits Proper record management Allows ease of access to information for the duration of the retention period of a given record Promotes good will with the general public seeking access to records

6 Records Custodian Definitions A records custodian is defined as a person having routine access to or control of public records. 950 C.M.R Records custodians must take proper care of public records EVERY agency should annually submit a Records Liaison Officer Form (RCB-4)

7 Records Custodian Responsibilities Records custodians must be aware of The records the agency makes or receives The people who make or receive such records The retention periods for agency records The format in which the records reside The location of agency records The accessibility of agency records

8 Records Custodian High Ranking Officer Records custodians must have authority to direct personnel who control or hold records An agency records custodian should be a high ranking officer who can manage the increased responsibilities related to records management

9 Records Custodian New Responsibilities Stringent new federal E-Discovery rules require agencies to produce all paper and electronic records If an agency is directly or indirectly involved in litigation, it may be subject to a litigation hold to preserve all records in their control

10 Records Custodian Litigation Hold A litigation hold may require retrieval of electronic records No destruction of records may take place once litigation hold is in place, even if retention period is passed A litigation hold requires coordination between legal, IT and agency staff

11 Record Retention Statewide Schedule Records custodians must retain records for the retention period as outlined in the Statewide Records Retention Schedule Some agencies have specialized schedules Retention requirements apply to all records, regardless of form Agencies must retain records in an accessible format for the retention period of the record

13 Record Retention Retention Periods for The retention period is based upon the content of the For example Massachusetts Highway Department correspondence related to consultant selection is seven (7) years, whether in paper or form Statewide Retention Schedule, C-10(1)

14 Record Retention Records Storage Agencies must request written approval from the RCB to Destroy records Store records at the State Records Center Transfer ownership of records to the State Archives Agencies should seek approval from the RCB prior to employing third party storage Massachusetts Highway Department uses offsite storage

15 Record Retention messages made or received by government employees are public records For retention purposes, users must evaluate the content of the message Agencies must establish written policies for systems capable of displaying and preserving the contextual data (metadata) Agencies must ensure that all personnel who will be handling are trained to ensure compliance

16 Record Retention Administrative Use Certain records may be discarded after use Threaded s Retain final version Reminder and courtesy correspondence Meeting reminders Confirmation correspondence Certain draft versions Refer to Statewide Retention Schedule Retention period is determined by content

17 E-Discovery Overview Under state and federal rules, all agency records may be subject to disclosure as part of a lawsuit Agencies are required to provide access to all records, regardless of form

20 E-Discovery Special Data Considerations Embedded data (draft language, editorial comments, tracked changes data) Metadata (data about the history, tracking or management of an electronic file) End user search tools such as Google Desktop Deleted data that may be retrievable

21 E-Discovery Irretrievable ESI If a court orders ESI to be produced, agencies may be required to rely on ITD to provide backup tapes for ITC-hosted applications or MassMail Agency Chief Information Officer (CIO) for backup tape Agency LAN team to help sort through local MassMail archive Computer forensic consultants

22 E-Discovery Location of ESI Recovery of ESI is a collaborative effort between Records custodian Department employees Contractors or other agents in custody of agency records Agency IT staff E-Discovery records are by definition decentralized Do not limit your inquiry to CIO Employees may be using personal addresses to conduct state business Employees may have multiple copies of ESI

24 E-Discovery Preparation Review documents that may be relevant and useful in litigation Determine need for suspending deletion of records Who should be notified? How quickly can you capture the records of key players (what IT resources do you need)? How quickly can you take a snapshot of or other information?

25 E-Discovery Preparation Consider Fourth Amendment implications State and Federal wire tap statutes Does agency have a recently signed copy of an Acceptable Use Policy for every IT user? Develop procedures notify appropriate personnel when a claim is raised Legal counsel IT personnel

26 E-Discovery Common Abuses and Errors Failing to place litigation hold on destruction of records Failing to notify court of e-discovery problems Failing to provide accurate records Failing to fully respond to discovery requests Purposeful sluggishness in responding Fabricated evidence

27 E-Discovery Ignorance of Technology Ignorance of IT is simply no longer an acceptable cover for mistakes in most federal courts. The U.S. District Court in Tampa rejected the excuse of computer illiteracy in document production as frankly ludicrous. Martin v. Northwestern Mutual, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2866 (2006) Attorneys can no longer blame their knowledge gap on lack of guidance from the courts E-discovery conduct has been sanctioned in all 12 federal jurisdictions.

28 ESI: Conclusion Move from paper to electronic discovery has decentralized discoverable material and the persons who control it Control over access and knowledge often in hands of user Start by developing an ESI map taking into account people, data, devices, and locations Do not under any circumstances rely on your CIO and ITD alone to determine what discoverable ESI your agency s employees and contractors may control

29 Records Management Plan Implementation Staff training Alert staff to record retention obligations Combine document retention training with business writing training Employees should be aware that every is potentially a public record Contact the Secretary of the Commonwealth for training Educate employees on discovery duties in litigation Identify records custodian for each unit

30 Records Management Plan Implementation Compliance review Have team in place (IT, legal counsel, management) Test un-recycled backup tapes to ensure they are recoverable Consider requiring managers to certify that the policy is being followed Annual review clean up days Pizza, prizes etc., casual clothing Reminders to review home computers, PDAs Add document retention compliance to exit interviews Document compliance

31 Records Management Plan Risks of Inaction Agency employees (staff, IT) may not be Properly trained on the implication of the records they create Aware that s and other records may need to be retained, are a public record, or are discoverable in litigation Aware that the Statewide Retention Schedule applies to and other electronic records, and permission must be obtained from the RCB prior to destruction

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